An animal trainer trains animals for various purposes. Trainers are needed to train guard dogs for security, seeing eye dogs to assist people with disabilities, racehorses to be ridden in competitions, and circus animals to perform. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the most important duties of an animal trainer are to accustom animals to human voice and contact, as well as to respond to human commands. The U.S. geographical area with the highest percentage of animal trainers is Los Angeles, due to the film industry. According to Guide to Career Education: Animal Training Degrees, an animal trainer can expect to make about $26,000 a year in starting salary.

Most animal trainer positions do not require any formal education. However, coursework in areas such as zoology or marine biology (if you want to train marine animals such as dolphins) may be helpful in securing an animal training position.

Coursework in animal training programs varies quite a bit, depending on the career goals of the student in the program. For instance, a dog trainer may complete coursework that leads to a Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed credential, which is given by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. Students who want to work with marine mammals should get their SCUBA certification. Almost all animal trainers need to be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, in case an emergency occurs with the animals under their care.

According to the SeaWorld Web site, an animal trainer hoping to work in a zoological park would benefit from courses in animal behavior, behavioral and experimental psychology, zoology and public speaking. Animal trainers often have to show their animals off to members of the public, so in addition to being able to understand animals and work well with them, they also have to be able to educate other humans about animal behavior.